![]() The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority says the state has enough projects in the pipeline to reach 20 goals. The state’s energy cushion could narrow beginning in 2025 as some generators are deactivated and demand grows, says Kevin Lanahan, the company’s vice president of external affairs and corporate communications. Supply will become a problem if the electric grid and alternative energy sources aren’t improved and expanded, according to the New York Independent System Operator, which manages the flow of electricity across the grid. But with older homes, it’s a bit trickier, in large part because of the upfront costs to renovate, says Melissa Lott, director of research at Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy. In new homes, this means that electrifying things can make a lot of sense. Heat pumps tend to be more efficient and cheaper to run than natural gas furnaces. Still, plenty of builders remain dubious. ![]() It used to be that heat pumps were no match for eye-watering cold, but they have improved greatly over the past decade and are quite efficient, says Robert Howarth, an Earth systems scientist at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, and one of 22 members on the state’s Climate Action Council tasked with developing the state’s net-zero plan. Without greater detail and analysis, this one size fits all plan is unrealistic, unaffordable and unreliable,” says Republican state Sen. “The ban on natural gas hookups in new buildings will drive up housing costs and utility bills for consumers. Critics warn of unintended consequences and call for a more measured approach. Supporters say electric heat pumps are effective and save consumers money over time. Those details have not been ironed out and could be derailed if, say, future governors have different priorities. Bigger savings will come once existing buildings are retrofitted and the sale of gas appliances is banned, all part of the state’s net-zero-by-2050 plan. But it keeps new buildings from raising them. The law does not apply to existing buildings.īuildings produce more greenhouse gases than any other category in New York – 32% of emissions versus 29% for transportation – according to the state’s Department of Environmental Conservation. Some businesses that require extreme high heat to operate are exempt. Larger buildings will have to comply by 2029. ![]() How will the law work?īy 2026, most new buildings under seven stories will have to use electric heat pumps for controlling air temperatures and for hot water. While some Republican-controlled states have laws preventing local gas bans, Washington state has a ban imposed by its unelected Building Code Council. Already a number of cities from San Francisco to New York City have banned gas in new construction. ![]() The policy’s rollout here will be closely watched. In addition to helping solve climate change, advocates say boosting green energy will create jobs, improve indoor and outdoor air quality, and lower utility costs. The state’s goal is 70% emissions-free electricity production by 2030 and 100% by 2040. In 2021, slightly more than half of New York’s electricity came from clean sources like nuclear and renewables such wind, solar, hydro, and geothermal pumps, according to the U.S. The new law calls for energy-efficient heat pumps instead. It burns cleaner than fossil fuels like coal and oil, but can pollute just as much as coal, depending on how much methane leaks from production to delivery. Natural gas is used widely to generate electricity here and around the country. Critics say this plan will cost struggling consumers too much, could overtax the state’s energy grid, and doesn’t account for the severity of New York’s numbingly cold winters. Yet, while most Empire State residents agree that lowering greenhouse gas emissions is the right move, gas-range aficionados don’t want to give up their open flame. It’s part of a larger state plan to reach net-zero energy emissions by 2050. New York is the first state to begin banning natural gas in most new buildings – a move praised as pathbreaking by climate advocates but criticized by opponents as overbearing.
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